


meet the parents

by cleardishwashers



Series: postscript [3]
Category: MASH (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 06:42:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20271616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cleardishwashers/pseuds/cleardishwashers
Summary: daniel pierce comes home to find an unused coffee mug on his counter.





	meet the parents

On the drive back to the house, Daniel starts to wonder if he should bring some sleeping pills home from work. Ben has adamantly refused, but he’s always been stubborn. A small smile drifts to Daniel’s face as he remembers his son’s unyielding determination over the years- reading books as a kid that he didn’t understand half of, finishing first out of everyone in the school, mastering surgical techniques before all his other classmates, always pushing, pushing, until he ran out of steam.

The smile slides off Daniel’s face when he realizes that his son will never agree to sleeping pills.

When Daniel returns to the house, he finds it dark. He flips on the hall light, and his eyes fall on an abandoned mug on the counter. He walks into the kitchen, dropping his bag on the table as he goes, and he touches his hand to the coffee pot, which is also sitting out. It’s cold.

A tendril of dread snakes into his stomach.  _ It’s probably nothing, _ he tells himself.  _ He probably forgot about the coffee. _ But Ben doesn’t forget about coffee- for the past few weeks, it’s been his lifeblood, so much so that Daniel has contemplated throwing all of it out of the house.

The sound of footsteps alert him to the presence of another person in the living room, and he whips around. “Ben?”

The man standing in front of him is definitely  _ not _ Ben. Daniel has seen enough photos to put a name to the apprehensive face. “Uh, no,” the man says. “I’m-”

“BJ Hunnicutt,” Daniel finishes for him. “Not that I’m unhappy to meet you, but- how’d you get into my house?”

“Uh, Hawkeye let me in.” The slightest of smiles makes its way onto BJ’s face as he says Ben’s name, and Daniel’s suspicions about the nature of BJ and Ben’s relationship intensify. “I was going to a conference when my wife got your letter, and I just changed my plane ticket.” BJ drags a hand over his beard, and then awkwardly sticks his hand out. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Pierce.”

“Call me Daniel. And have a seat,” he says, gesturing to the couch. “Where’s Ben?”

“Sleeping,” BJ responds as he sinks into the well-worn leather.

Daniel’s eyebrows shoot up, and relief washes over him. “Well, that’s a pleasant surprise. How’d that happen?”

Color rises in the young man’s cheeks, and Daniel’s suspicions are confirmed. “Uh, well-”

He decides to take pity on BJ. “Well, whatever works.” He narrows his eyes a little. “I do have to say, though, you seem like a very nice young man, and I know Ben can make his own decisions, but you  _ are _ married-”

“It’s not like that,” BJ says hurriedly. “Well- it  _ is _ like that- but I’d never hurt Hawkeye, I swear.”

BJ seems wholly convinced on that point, and it’s enough for Daniel. Ben has always been a smart kid. “Okay then,” Daniel says. “Since Ben’s asleep, would you mind helping me with dinner?”

**Author's Note:**

> tysm for reading!


End file.
